True Crime — Creepy Curiosities. (2024)

This case is extremely horrific and sad.

Sylvia died on October 26th 1965 in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. She died of a brain hemorrhage, shock, and malnutrition following three months of physical abuse and torture at the hands of Gertrude Baniszewski, Gertude’s children, and other neighbourhood children. Gertrude was left to take care of Sylvia and her younger sister Jenny in exchange for $20 a week by the girls Parents, who worked on the carnival circuit. Gertrude was a haggard, underweight asthmatic who was suffering from depression, following several failed marriages. Once when her $20 check was late Gertrude blamed the Likens sisters and spanked them on the behind with a paddle. The check came the next day. Gertrude started to focus her abuse exclusively on Sylvia. She would accuse sylvia of stealing sweets and food and would humiliate her at every opportunity. Gertrude’s Daughter, Paula who was pregnant at a the time by a married man, would get involved in the abuse and kicked Sylvia in the genitals and accused her of being pregnant. Gertrude allowed her children to beat Sylvia and would repeatedly kick her down the stairs for their own amusem*nt. Gertrude, Paula and one of the neighbour boys made Sylvia eat a hot dog overloaded with condiments. It made her sick and later she was made to consume her own vomit. Gertrude also accused Sylvia of prostitution and would deliver misogynistic sermons about the filthiness of prostitutes and women in general.

Sylvia was accused of spreading rumours around Arsenal Technical High School that Paula and Stephanie Baniszewski were prostitutes. This provoked Stephanie's boyfriend, Coy Hubbard, to physically attack Sylvia. Coy and his classmates soon made frequent visits to the Baniszewski home, and with Gurtrude’s encouragement, they beat on Sylvia and forced her to eat feces and drink urine. They also used her to practice judo sessions on. They burnt her body with lit cigarettes over 100 times and severely injured her genitals. To entertain Gertrude and her teenage accomplices, Sylvia was forced to strip naked in the living room and insert an empty Coca-Cola bottle inside herself.

Paula once beat Sylvia in the face so hard that she broke her own wrist. She later used her arm cast to further beat Sylvia. Gertrude later forced Jenny to also hit her sister, beating her if she didn’t do it.

Gertrude eventually forbade Sylvia from attending school after she confessed to having stolen a gym suit from the school. Gertrude brutally beat and whipped Sylvia and did the same for Jenny after remembering that she supposedly stole tennis shoes. Gertrude then switched the topic to the "evils" of premarital sex and brutally kicked Sylvia repeatedly in the genitals and then burned all of her fingers with matches.

Sylvia eventually became incontinent but she was denied access to the bathroom and she was forced to wet herself. As punishment for her incontinence, Gertrude threw her in the basem*nt. Gertrude, with the assistance of her children and their friends, would restrain Sylvia in a bathtub filled with scalding water and rubbed salt onto her burns. She was often kept naked and hardly ever fed. Sometimes Gertrude and her twelve-year-old son John Jr. would make Sylvia eat her own feces, as well as urine and feces from the dirty diapers of Gertrude’s one-year-old son. Abusing Sylvia became Gertrude’s favourite pastime activity and she charged the neighbourhood children five cents to see Sylvia naked and to tie her up and beat, burn and mutilate her. Sylvia tried to alert the neighbours by screaming for help to no avail.

The Likens sisters had no way of contacting family members to inform them of the abuse. Jenny was constantly threatened by Gertrude that she would be abused and tortured next to her sister. She was also bullied by the neighbourhood kids and beaten whenever she complained about Sylvia's situation. Nonetheless, they encountered Diana, their older, married sister, at the local park. Diana was forbidden by her parents to make contact with the sisters due to her estrangement, Diana eventually learned that Sylvia and Jenny were staying at Gertrude’s home and she attempted to visit them. Upon her visit, Gertrude told Diana, unaware of who Gertrude was, that the Likens sisters were not allowed to see her and ordered her off her property. At one point, Diana secretly gave a Sylvia a sandwich. Sylvia kept quiet about the matter but after Marie Baniszewski told on her to Gertrude, Paula and Gertrude choked and paddled Sylvia before subjecting her to another scalding bath. Shortly after, a neighbour made an anonymous report, which prompted an in-home visit by a public health nurse. The nurse visited the home and made inquiries, but had no choice but to leave without further investigation. She told Gertrude the report was about Sylvia. Gertrude told her that she had kicked Sylvia out of her house, and that her whereabouts were unknown.

Sylvia was often deprived of water and was unable to produce tears due to dehydration.

On October 22nd, Sylvia was forced by John to eat a bowl of soup with her fingers. John quickly took away the bowl when Sylvia attempted to eat it. Gertrude eventually allowed her to sleep upstairs, under the condition that she didn’t wet herself. That night, Sylvia asked Jenny to give her a glass of water before falling asleep. On October 23rd, Gertrude discovered that Sylvia had wet herself. As punishment, she was forced to masturbat* with an empty glass Coca-Cola bottle in front of Gertrude’s children.

After that, she stripped Sylvia naked and carved the words "I'M A PROSTITUTE AND PROUD OF IT" onto Sylvia’s abdomen with a heated needle. When Gertrude couldn’t to finish the branding, she had Richard Hobbs finish it. Richard did what he was told. Meanwhile Gertrude calmly took Jenny to the supermarket. Richard Hobbs and 10-year-old Shirley Baniszewski then used a red hot iron poker to burn the letter "S" into Sylvia’s chest; the burn scar ended up looking like the number "3." Gertrude later teased Sylvia about how she would never be able to marry a man due to the words carved onto her stomach. Sylvia was thrown back into the basem*nt, where Coy Hubbard arrived to tie her up. He then slammed her body against the brick walls seven times. That night, Sylvia told to her sister, "I'm going to die, I can tell". The next day, Gertrude woke Sylvia then dictated a letter to her, intending to make her parents believe that she had ran away. The letter also tried to frame a group of anonymous boys for abusing and mutilating Sylvia after she supposedly agreed to have sex with them. After Sylvia had finished the letter, Gertrude formulated a plan to have John Jr and Jenny take Sylvia to a nearby forested area and leave her there to die.

On October 25, Sylvia tried to escape after overhearing Gertrud’s plan to blindfold her and dump her body in Jimmy's Forest. Sylvia fled to the front door but due to her injuries didn’t get very far and Gertrude caught her in time. Sylvia was provided with toast but couldn’t eat it due to dehydration. Gertrude shoved the toast into her mouth and hit her in the face multiple times with a curtain rod. She then violently threw Sylvia into the basem*nt and with the assistance of Coy, she tied and bludgeoned her until she was unconscious. Sylvia managed to recover but was unable to speak intelligibly nor move her limbs properly. Sylvia tried to exit the basem*nt but then collapsed before she could make it to the stairs. Gertrude crushed her head with her feet and stood there for several moments.

On October 26, after multiple beatings, burnings, and scalding baths, Sylvia died. She was 16 years old.

When Stephanie Baniszewski and Richard Hobbs realised that Sylvia was not breathing, Stephanie tried to give her mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Gertrude shouted at them that Sylvia was "faking it”.

When Gertrude finally realised that Sylvia was dead, she sent Richard to call the police from a nearby payphone. When police arrived, Gertrude handed them the letter she had forced Sylvia to write a few days previously. Before the police officers left the house, however, Jenny Likens approached them and said, "Get me out of here and I'll tell you everything." Her statement, combined with the discovery of Sylvia’s body, prompted the officers to arrest Gertrude, Paula, Stephanie and John Baniszewski, Richard Hobbs, and Coy Hubbard for murder. Other neighbourhood children present at the time—Mike Monroe, Randy Lepper, Darlene McGuire, Judy Duke, and Anna Siscoe—were also arrested for bodily harm.

An examination and autopsy of Sylvia’s body revealed numerous burns, bruising, muscle and nerve damage.

All of her fingernails were also broken backwards and most of the skin's outer layer peeled off. Sylvia had bitten bit through her lips due to pain, partially severing each of them. Her vagin*l cavity was nearly swollen shut, although an examination of the canal determined that her hymen was still intact, which meant it was possible she was still a virgin. The official cause of death was brain swelling, internal haemorrhaging of the brain, malnutrition and shock from severe and prolonged damage to her skin.

During the highly publicised trial, Gertrude denied being responsible for Sylvia’s death. She pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. She claimed that she was too distracted by her ill health and depression to control her children.

Four minors who took part in the abuse of Sylvia were also put on trial. They were:

Paula Baniszewski, aged 17

John Baniszewski, aged 13

Richard Hobbs, aged 15

Coy Hubbard, aged 15

The attorneys for the minors claimed that they had been pressured by Gertrude

When Gertrude's 11-year-old daughter, Marie Baniszewski, was called to the stand as a witness for the defence, she broke down and admitted that she had been forced to heat the needle with which Hobbs had carved Sylvia’s ' skin.

On May 19, 1966, Gertrude Baniszewski was convicted of first-degree murder. She was spared the death penalty and was sentenced to life imprisonment.

Paula Baniszewski, who had given birth to a daughter during the trial, was convicted of second-degree murder. She was also sentenced to life imprisonment.

Richard Hobbs, Coy Hubbard, and John Baniszewski Jr. were all convicted of manslaughter and given two 2-to-21-year prison sentences.

Unfortunately Gertrude was granted parole in 1985 due to good behaviour. She later died of Lung cancer in 1990

The house where Sylvia died has since been demolished.

A six-foot-tall (1.8 m) block of granite was dedicated in June 2001 as a memorial to Sylvia in Willard Park, 1700 E. Washington Street.

Sylvia’s case has been the inspiration for numerous films and books.

In May 1999 in Hong Kong, a fourteen year old girl went to the police to make a confession about the murder of 23 year old Fan Man- Yee, AKA, Ah Map. The girl claimed that she was being Haunted by Fan because she helped to kill her. The girl led The Police to an apartment in the commercial district, Hong Kong.

At first the police were reluctant to believe the girl but they found a human tooth at the scene. On further investigation the police found body parts in an old fridge and a skull that had been stuffed inside the head of a Hello Kitty Mermaid doll. The Police later got the full gruesome accounts of Fan’s last Mouth alive.

Fan was an orphan who got involved in drugs and prostitution at the age of 16, addicted to ice, and her husband was also an addict. She worked as an exotic dancer in a strip club and in a Hotel Brothel to support him and her young child. Whilst working in The Romance Hotel she met 34 year old chan man-kok, AKA, Big Brother. He was a regular client of hers and was involved dealing ice. He was also a pimp. Due to his violent behaviour, Fan wanted to cut him out of her life and tried to cut him off. She stole a wallet from him containing $4000. Afraid of what he might do, Fan returned the money and gave him an extra $10.000 as a peace offering. But Big Brother still wanted revenge.

In March 1999 he got two men Leung Wai-lunto, 21 and Leung Shing-cho, 27 to go to Fan’s apartment to kidnap her. The men took her to 13 Granville road Tsim Sha Tsui, where Big Brother and his fourteen year old Girlfriend who would later confess, were waiting. Big Brother’s original plan was to use Fan as a sex slave and sell her services to men so he could keep the money, but he and the other two men beat her so hard, she was too battered and bruised- men didn’t want to pay for sex with her. The three men continued to beat and torture her. The fourteen year old girl said “ It was a game they played. If Fan didn’t pretend to be happy they would beat her harder. They made her smile and laugh while they burned her.”

“They turned it into a happy atmosphere.” The Teenage girl grew curious and wanted to know what it felt like to hurt someone, so she joined in with the beatings which escalated into burning her with hot wax, rubbing spices into her eyes, burning her feet with cigarette lighters, and made her eat and drink her own waste.

At night they tied her to a ceiling fan. When they went out they locked her in the bathroom. On 15 of April the fourteen year old girl found her dead in the bathroom. The three men then dismembered fan’s body in the bathtub and put some of her body parts in the fridge. They then boiled her head next to a pan of noodles before stuffing her skull inside the head of a Hello Kitty doll. They then vacated the apartment and never went back.

After the confession, the men were brought to The Court of First Instance. In november 2000, the three men were convicted of manslaughter because the jury ruled the remains were not sufficient to show whether Fan was murdered or died in another way, such as a drug overdose. They got 20 years in prison.

The teenage girl who's identity was kept secret because of her age, testified at the trial in exchange for immunity. She claimed that Fan, Haunted her, everyday. The apartment in Granville Road was torn down in 2012..

Hamilton Howard Albert Fish was an American serial killer/child rapist/cannibal, born in Washington DC on May 19th 1870. Fish moved to New York in 1890 where he became a prostitute and began to raping young boys. Throughout 1898 he worked as a house painter and continued molesting children, mostly boys younger than the age of six. He became obsessed with sexual mutilation and went on to molesting, mutilating and killing three children and suspected to have killed five more between the ages of 5 and 17.

Here is the infamous letter that Fish sent to the Mother of one his victims, 10 year old Grace Budd...

My dear Mrs Budd,

In 1894 a friend of mine shipped as a deck hand on the steamer Tacoma, Capt John Davis. They sailed from San Francisco to Hong Kong China. On arriving there he and two others went ashore and got drunk. When they returned the boat was gone. At that time there was a famine in China. Meat of any kind was from $1 to 3 Dollars a pound. So great was the suffering among the very poor that all children under 12 were sold to the Butchers to be cut up and sold for food in order to keep others from starving. A boy or girl under 14 was not safe in the street. You could go in any shop and ask for steak – chops – or stew meat. Part of the naked body of a boy or girl would be brought out and just what you wanted cut from it. A boy or girls behind which is the sweetest part of the body and sold as veal cutlet brought the highest price. John staid there so long he acquired a taste for human flesh. On his return to N.Y. he stole two boys one 7 one 11. Took them to his home stripped them naked tied them in a closet then burned everything they had on. Several times every day and night he spanked them – tortured them – to make their meat good and tender. First he killed the 11 yr old boy, because he had the fattest ass and of course the most meat on it. Every part of his body was cooked and eaten except Head – bones and guts. He was roasted in the oven, (all of his ass) boiled, broiled, fried, stewed. The little boy was next, went the same way. At that time I was living at 409 E 100 St, rear – right side. He told me so often how good human flesh was I made up my mind to taste it. On Sunday June the 3 – 1928 I called on you at 406 W 15 St. Brought you pot cheese – strawberries. We had lunch. Grace sat in my lap and kissed me. I made up my mind to eat her, on the pretence of taking her to a party. You said Yes she could go. I took her to an empty house in Westchester I had already picked out. When we got there, I told her to remain outside. She picked wild flowers. I went upstairs and stripped all my clothes off. I knew if I did not I would get her blood on them. When all was ready I went to the window and called her. Then I hid in a closet until she was in the room. When she saw me all naked she began to cry and tried to run down stairs. I grabbed her and she said she would tell her mama. First I stripped her naked. How she did kick – bite and scratch. I choked her to death then cut her in small pieces so I could take my meat to my rooms, cook and eat it. How sweet and tender her little ass was roasted in the oven. It took me 9 days to eat her entire body. I did not f*ck her, though, I could of [sic] had I wished. She died a virgin.

The story of Captain Davis and the Chinese famine was never corroborated, but the description of Grace Budd's death was accurate. Police used the information on the stationery paper Fish used to locate and detain him. Fish never denied the crime.

Albert Fish was executed on Jan 16th 1936 in the electric chair. His last words “I don't even know why I’m here”

Born July 29,1924 Died January 14 or 15 1947)

Elizabeth short was an American aspiring actress who was found murdered in the Leimert Park neighbourhood of Los Angeles, California. Due to the graphic nature of her murder, her case became highly publicised. Her corpse had been mutilated and severed at the waist. She acquired the nickname of The Black Dahlia because newspapers of that time often nicknamed particularly lurid crimes. The term Black Dahlia is said to have originated from the murder mystery film The Blue Dahlia. Her death has inspired numerous books and films. Her murder is one of the most famous unsolved murders in American history, as well as one of the oldest unsolved cases in Los Angeles County. 
(Prior to murder)
On January 9, 1947, Elizabeth returned to her home in Los Angeles after a short trip to San Diego with Robert Red Manley, a 25-year-old married salesman she had been seeing. Robet told investigators that he had dropped Elizabeth off at the Biltmore Hotel located in South Grand Avenue in downtown Los Angeles, and that Elizabeth was to meet her sister, who was visiting from Boston.The staff of the Biltmore Hotel recalled having seen Elizabeth using the lobby telephone. Shortly after, she was seen by the staff of the Crown Grill co*cktail Lounge at South Olive Street, approximately half a mile away from the Biltmore Hotel.
(Discovery)
On the morning of January 15, 1947, Elizabeth's naked body was found severed in two pieces on a vacant lot on the west side of South Norton Avenue, in Leimert Park, Los Angeles. Local resident Betty Bersinger discovered the body at approximately 10:00 a.m. while she was walking with her three-year-old daughter. Betty initially thought she had found a discarded store mannequin. When she realised it was a corpse, she rushed to a nearby house and telephoned the police.
Elizabeth's severely mutilated body was completely severed at the waist and drained of blood, leaving her skin paper white. Medical examiners determined that she had been dead for around ten hours prior to the discovery, The body had been washed by the killer. Her face had been slashed from the corners of her mouth to her ears, She had several cuts on drained of blood, leaving her skin paper white. Medical examiners determined that she had been dead for around ten hours prior to the discovery, The body had been washed by the killer. Her face had been slashed from the corners of her mouth to her ears, She had several cuts onher thigh and breasts, where entire portions of flesh had been sliced away.The lower half of her body was positioned a foot away from the upper body and her intestines had been tucked neatly beneath her buttocks 
The corpse had been positioned with her hands over her head and her elbows bent at right angles, and her legs spread apart. Los Angeles Herald-Express reporter Aggie Underwood was among the first to arrive at the scene, and took several photos of the corpse and crime scene.
By the spring of 1947, Elizabeths murder had become a cold case, with few new leads
Several crime authors have suspected a link between Elizabeth's murder and the Cleveland Torso Murders, which took place in Cleveland, Ohio between 1934 and 1938.

The Lawson Murders Warning Graphic Content

On Christmas Day 1929 Charlie Lawson, a 43 year old tobacco farmer slaughtered almost his entire family before turning his gun on himself in the woods of his Stokes County farm.

Lawson shot 2 of his daughters, Carrie Lee ,12 and Maybell ,7 near the family’s barn. He then made his way to the porch of their cabin and shot his wife, Fannie, 38. Once inside the cabin he gunned down daughter Marie, 17, then bludgeoned his tiny sons, James, 4, and Raymond, 2, before doing the same to Mary Lou, 3 months.

Lawson slaughtered all but one of his children, his16 year old son Arthur, who with his father’s permission had walked with a friend to Walnut Cove to buy ammunition for rabbit hunting.

Some speculate Lawson feared that Arthur would intervene and interrupt the slaying spree.

The motive for one of the most horrid bloodiest crime in the region’s history remains a mystery. Months leading up to the crime Lawson was known to have behaved erratically and complained to his Doctor about severe headaches and insomnia.

A week before the murders, Lawson bought his family all new clothes and insisted they all pose for a portrait photo.

It’s said that when the bodies were found on Boxing Day, enough blood was left on Lawson's cabin floor for neighbours to scoop it up with a coal shovel.

Shortly after the slayings, thousands of curious interlopers, including press, swarmed the graveside funeral at Browder Cemetery.

They had all come to see the row of caskets get lowered into the mass grave, dug by Friends and Family.

Soon after the funerals Lawson’s Brother opened the crime scene for macabre tours. Blood stains were left for authenticity.

The gory exhibit even featured the Christmas cake, daughter Marie baked, but had never gotten around to serving it.